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History of The A11FL
'Timeline of the American-11 Football League' This page is set to describe the roots of the A11FL. From the league's foundation in 20 10 through to the beginning of the 2016 season, the A11FL has risen to gain significant prominence in the modern sports world, despite running into several issues early on that nearly derailed the A11FL as it had many other leagues like it. Through it all, the league has survived to provide a quality alternative to their big brother known as the National Football League while maintaining it's own identity, along the way gaining a loyal and hardcore fanbase, and cementing a very bright future for the American-11 Football League. '2009' The story of the A11FL actually began one year prior to the league's initial formation. It all began in early March of 2009, when former Microsoft executive Jim Tading and took control of the ailing Indoor Football League, with plans to expand. Before long, the idea was scrapped, and the 2009 season was cancelled. Three months later, Jim Tading announced the end of the IFL, citing plans "bigger than indoor football" were in the works. By December of 2009, Tading had also bought out the National Arena League and the United Football League, both in their final stages by that point. On December 22nd, 2009, Tading released a statement stating the creation of "the ultimate NFL alternative" was in it's final stages. No more information was released in 2009, leaving eager fans and skeptics alike hoping the new year would provide some clarity into the matter. 2010 ' '''Fans did not have to wait very long into the new year to get another scoop from Jim Tading. On January 13, 2010, Jim Tading publicly announced the formation of the American-11 Football League, the day after the NFL's Divisional Round games had concluded. The announcement was made in his hometown of Dallas, Texas. Along with announcing his latest "pet project", he also gave away a few major details about the new league. The league would consist of 20 teams, split up into four randomized divisions. The league's regular season would run from early September to their Alpha Cup Final in mid to late January. Despite competing in the fall, Tading made it clear the A11FL would not force fans to choose between watching their games of NFL broadcasted games, and plans were underway with several networks to secure Friday nights for all their televised regular season and postseason games. Next it was stated that the league would operate a 30-minute per 2 half system, and was currently slated to run a 15-game regular season. He ended the conference by announcing the league's Inaugural Game was scheduled to take place in September of 2012, and the the league website (which would provide fans with regular updates regarding the state of the league would be up by late February 2010. By the time the league's website was posted later that month, fan interest was at an unexpected high, as visitors to the site totaled in the hundred-thousandths within the first week. As promised, the league's first update was posted on February 22nd, around two weeks after the Super Bowl. The update described the league's revolutionary promotion system. The 20 teams of the league would be split into four divisions, but teams in Divisions 2 through 4 would be ineligible to end the season as league champions. Instead, those teams would be playing to win their division, and get promoted to the next one. Four teams from each division would qualify for the playoffs, with the remaining team from Divisions 1 through 3 being automatically demoted to the next division. The update went viral, as Tading became known as either a "mad genius" or a "complete fool" by fans. Whether excited about seeing how this controversial system would work in pro football or upset at the seemingly unnecessary implications the system would have, the end result was undeniable: people were talking about the A11FL. However, this would be the last update for several months as Tading worked with league executives behind the scenes to secure funding and partner with television networks. The next update came in mid-July, and announced that games would take place in one of 12 regulated league stadiums spread across the country, rather than each team having their own, essentially "making every game an away game". The update also announced the release of the A11FL Candidacy Poll. The poll would be released in potential cities, and fans could vote on whether or not they wanted a team in that city. The poll would be released across the East Coast first, then the West Coast. Results from each city would then be tallied, and potential cities would then be voted on by League executives. Approved destinations would then be announced via the League site. It ended by announcing that the first official city would be announced by the end of the year. It would take until February of 2011 for the next update. '''2011' The next update came on February 22nd of 2011, one year to the day of the very first league update to A11FL.com. It was announced that the results of the A11FL Candidacy Poll had been tallied, and the first six destinations had been approved by the A11FL, with more on the way. Ironically, a non-American city ranked the highest as Vancouver, Canada was announced to have the highest approval rating, The top six were revealed as follows, #Vancouver, CAN (93% Approval Rating) #Brooklyn, NY (91% Approval Rating) #San Jose, CA (89% Approval Rating) #San Antonio, TX (88% Approval Rating) #Milwaukee, WI (86% Approval Rating) #Dallas, TX (85% Approval Rating) The next teams announced were the Brooklyn Beats, followed by the Orlando Predators, Bay Area Sea Lions, Milwaukee Hounds and the Dallas Wranglers. All team logos were released the next day on the site. Ten days later on March 1st, Jim Tading confirmed the results at a press conference, while also announcing that Honululu, Hawaii had also been approved, and the Hawaii Islanders would be joining the A11FL. He also announced that due to a two-way tie between Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona, the former AFL-owned Arizona Rattlers would represent the state, confirming eight teams for their Inaugural season in 2012. He ended the press conference by announcing that Gridiron Labs was now an official partner of the A11FL and would be providing the league's team logos, uniform designs and equipment, confirmed by GridIron Labs CEO Chris Kincade. By July of 2011, two more teams were announced, as the Chicago Staggs and San Diego Cyclones were added to the League site in April and May respectively, totaling 10 official A11FL teams for their Inaugural Season. But Tading's boldest move came in July of 2011, when it was announced that he had opened discussions about bringing an A11FL team to London, England. After several weeks of speculation, Tading confirmed the rumors were true, but followed up by saying that the league would be adding a stadium in London to their list of game sites, stating The Palace in downtown Manchester "was a huge opportunity". He ended the conversation by saying the league was "wide open to the idea of a team in London once they proved themselves". The next day, British media mogul Denise Coates confirmed the rumors of the A11FL playing games in London on Twitter, announcing she would be sponsoring their international games for the 2012 Inaugural Season. The rest of 2011 saw several more teams receive confirmation for the A11FL as the Washington Valor and Portland Thunder were announced in August, the San Antonio Talons in late September, and the 2009 United Football League champion Omaha Nighthawks and runner up the Albany Empire in November of 2011, bringing the number of confirmed teams to 15. 2012 2012 began with the A11FL once again in the headlines after another bold move by Commissioner Jim Tading. It was announced on January 12, 2012 that Jim Tading had bought the rights and licenses to the former Donal d Trump-owned New Jersey Generals for $1.5M, officially reviving the defunct franchise after they shut down along with the USFL in 1987. Two weeks later, A11FL.com confirmed the purchase when the site unveiled a new updated version of the New Jersey Generals logo. A month later, Tading introduced the final three teams of the league: the New Orleans VooDoo, the Las Vegas Locos and the Iowa Barnstormers at a press conference in Dallas. He also announced that ESPN and the CBS Sports Network had signed on to broadcast A11FL games, starting with the A11FL Inaugural Game in September, which would be held at The Waterside in San Francisco, California. Tickets went up for sale on January 21st. Within 48 hours, the Inaugural Game was sold out. On February 1st, each team began holding tryouts to fill up their rosters, with only the Brooklyn Beats and Albany Empire holding private tryouts. Two months later, Jim Tading announced the A11FL would be holding a one-round supplemental draft on May 5th. The draft would be broadcast exclusively on A11FL.com, as critics claimed no network was interested due to an expected lack in notable talent. The draft included free agents as well as undrafted NCAA athletes. Players were given one week to register. From there, teams would hold workouts, followed by a League Combine lasting three days. Based on data from remaining players, A11FL Draft Analyst Eric Russo put together a Top 20 Board. Teams held private workouts for two days, then had one week to compile their data before the draft. A11FL Inaugural Season The A11FL Inaugural Draft was held on May 5th, 2012 from Capitol Field in Washington D.C., and the Albany Empire were awarded the first pick. They drafted QB Todd Riley of Florida Atlantic University. The final pick of Round One was given to the Washington Valor, who selected TE Carlos Coto out of UNLV. The day after the draft, Jim Tading announced the official Division Placement of all 20 teams. The league managed to mostly avoid backlash from fans in the lower divisions. The rest of the draft came and went, and before long came Training Camps, which lasted until the Wednesday before the Inaugural Game. Finally, the A11FL Inaugural Game had arrived. Fans packed into The Waterside as the New Jersey Generals faced the San Diego Cyclones. The Generals won the game 21-17. The 2015 Season managed to maintain excellent ratings throughout the year despite the NFL season going on at the same time, as their Friday time slot proved to be a key investment. The results of the year were as follows, *''Champions: ''Arizona Rattlers (Alpha Cup), Jacksonville Sharks (D-II), San Antonio Talons (D-III), Orlando Predators (D-IV to D-III) *''Promotions: ''Jacksonville (D-II to D-I), San Antonio (D-III to D-II), Orlando (D-IV to D-III)' *Demotions: Georgia Force (D-I to D-II), New Orleans VooDoo (D-II to D-III), Washington Valor (D-III to D-IV)'' '2013' Following the initial success of the A11FL after the first Alpha Cup Final, Tading got together with his Board of Directors for plans regarding keeping their momentum going. Part of their strategy was finding a way to attract more talent to their league, and possibly cut into the NFL's athletic talent monopoly. One week later, Tading called a press conference to announce the A11FL's first ever Rookie Showcase, pitting the best college athletes against one another, with the goal of making a name for yourself towards either league. Players were given a week to register for the game, which would be held at Capitol Park in Washington D.C.. The game itself had as may as 250 registered athletes, as the Eastern Elites beat the Western Stars 38 - 28. The game sold out Capitol Park as well, as several NFL scouts took advantage of the event as well. At a press conference the next day, Tading said he was glad the NFL took notice by sending scouts to the Showcase, citing "it was more about the players getting their dues than anything else." But it had done more for the A11FL's image than many expected, as by the time the 2nd A11FL Draft arrived in May of that year, it was reported that as many as 20 NFL Draft prospects had skipped registering for the NFL Draft to be eligible for the A11FL Draft. The A11FL's popularity only grew when previously projected NFL 2nd round pick DE Marcus Campbell was drafted with the 1st pick in the A11FL Draft by the Portland Thunder, and former Washington Redskins WR Pharoah Sanders was drafted with the top pick in the Supplemental Round by the Georgia Force. The 2013 season was projected to double in viewership and popularity, which was confirmed when it was reported the CBS Sports had given the A11FL a $50M bonus before the start of the season, which went on to meet early expectations. '2014' With now two successful seasons under it's belt, the American-11 Football League was riding high, and was being properly considered as a viable alternative to the NFL. However the league would see it's firs t setbacks this year. Three days after the Alpha Cup Final, represenatives from the Georgia Force announced they were defecting from the league and were rejoining the Arena Football League effective immediately. Later that week, the league saw another bit of controversy when Cyclones owner George Kittle announced the team was in the process of relocating to Philadelphia, releasing a statement claiming "San Diego was a one-team town." Tading released a statement stating both issues would be litigated and resolved at the League Summit. The Rookie Showcase provided a temporary distraction, as regi stration numbers hit around 150, and the game sold out for the second year in a row, this time the Western Stars besting the Eastern Elites 27 - 13 from Myers Field in Austin, Texas. At that year's League Summit, Tading announced the approval of George Kittle's proposal to relocate to Philadelphia, before unveiling the official logos and uniforms for the Philadelphia Soul and San Jose SaberCats, the latter filling the vacancy left by the Georgia Force. With the teams now once again even at 20, Tading also announced at the League Summit that effective next season, the league was dialing back their illegal substance policy to possibly remove medicinal marijuana from their banned substances, as well applying automatic suspensions to any member of the league suspected or accused of domestic violence, with a 3-game suspension being the minimum, while announcing that repeat offenders would face immediate termination from the A11FL. Tading explained the desire to "nullify a problem before it becomes one", also elaborating that any and all marijuana use by players lacking valid prescriptions was an immediate one game suspension. Tading was praised for his proactive approach to the topic of domestic violence, but was heavily criticized by some fans for his marijuana policy, while even NFL players took to somewhat "defend" the science behind it all. Notably, the 2013 A11FL Draft saw about 40 former NFL prospects get drafted into the league. Later that year, Tading and the A11FL would see both of their new policies put to the test. First, the marijuana policy would be tested when Brooklyn Beats WR Dre "Money" Lewis was arrested on DUI charges in Brooklyn prior to a Week 3 matchup vs. the Albany Empire at Metropolis Field in Queens. Brooklyn Beats HC John James initially suspended Dre Lewis for one week, but Jim Tading overruled him and suspended Dre for 2 games without pay, stating "the suspension was more focused around the DUI obtained, as Dre had a prescription, but his next legal offence would see a much steeper and costly suspension for putting his and others' lives in danger." Dre publicly apologized the next day. Three weeks later, the domestic abuse policy was brought to light. On Saturday, October 28th a report surfaced that Jacksonville Sharks RB Kerryon Johnson had been arrested on the charges of domestic abuse. The team released a statement the next day confirming his arrest. Police reports confirmed he had allegedly struck his girlfriend several times, and had a history of abusive behavior, as reported by her mother. Tading released a statement the following day assigning the RB an indefinite suspension from the league, saying "that behavior would not be tolerated in the league, and he hoped the woman in question Thomas healed quickly from her injuries." The remainder of the season went along without any further indictments. '2015' As the 2014 se ason concluded, Jim Tading had already begun negotiations to make some major changes to the league, including expanding the league to accomodate 24 teams instead of just 20. But less than a week after the 2014 season ended, the A11FL was once again forced to deal with the defection bug, as represenatives from the Iowa Barnstormers announced their intention to defect from the A11FL and rejoin the Arena Football League, taking a page from the Georgia Force who made the same move the previous year. The rep claimed the AFL "Provided a better opportunity to succeed and return to what made the franchise great." Rather than wait until the League S ummit, this time Jim Tading officially thanked the represenatives in Des Moines, and the Iowa Barnstormers organization for a great three years with the A11FL family and wished them the best. Less than a week later it was reported that the Washington Valor were also defecting to the AFL, as well as the Portland Thunder, who were owned by the A11FL were going up for sale. Tading promised the issues were all part of a "major plan" and that plans were already underway to replace the Valor and the Barnstormers. Three days later, Ohio native Aron Martinez annonced on Twitter that he ahd purchased the Portland Thunder for an undisclosed amount, and was interested in bringing the team to Ohio. Later that week, GridIron Labs CEO Chris Kincade released a statement on Twitter claiming "The boys down at Gridiron Labs were working hard on some major new projects for the A11FL." and urged fans to "stay tuned." The day after the Rookie Showcase, Tading released a statement saying "Some major deals had just been finalized, and fans of the A11FL were in for some BIG news at that year's League Summit." Two weeks later, fans got the update they had been waiting for, when Jim Tading stood with British mogul Denise Coates, entrepreneur Aron Martinez and league CEO Ryan Patterson as they unveiled three new teams: the Cleveland Gladiators, the London Royals and the Mexico City Aztecs. The announcement shocked the collective football world, and social media was ablaze regarding the news. Later that week Gary Clrak III stepped forward as the majority owner of the Mexico City Aztecs, stating "It was about time Mexico was represented in a sport other than soccer." The league's popularity skyrocketed heading into the next season. Things only got more interesting when several notable NFL and AFL talents joined the A11FL that offseason. The list goes as follows, #'Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns '(Signed w/ Cleveland Gladiators) #'Vontaze Burfict, OLB, Cincinatti Bengals '(Signed w/ Las Vegas Locos) #'Reggie Bush, RB, Detroit Lions '(Drafted by Philadelphia Soul in Supplemental Round) #'Joe Haden, DB, Cleveland Browns '(Drafted by Albany Empire in Supplemental Round) #'Eric Weddle, S, San Diego Chargers '(Signed w/ Hawaii Islanders) #'Nick DaVila, QB, LA Kiss '(Signed w/ Arizona Rattlers) With a number of new faces joining the league, and early expectations high for the 2016 season, the A11FL was on pace to achieve record numbers, and officially stake their claim in American sports. With Jim Tading's vision realized, the future of the American-11 Football League looks bright.